Life vest, cushion and like pneumatic device



LIFE VEST, CUSHION AND LIKE PNEUMATIC DEVICE Filed Feb. 16, 1966 fizz erz/ar Zr" J I fiaraora 6'. 77022252492 5 a zvz ww gw/ United; States Patent 3,357,032 LIFE VEST, CUSHION AND LIKE PNEUMATIC DEVICE Gurdon S. Worcester, High St., Gloucester, Mass. 01930 Filed Feb. 16, 1966, Ser. No. 527,792 Claims. (Cl. 9338) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A self-inflating life vest or cushion with a waterproof fabric casing enclosing a filler of spongy foam filler and having an air valve for admitting and releasing air from or holding air in the casing, and a rod attached along one side of the casing for rolling and compressing the foam filler to expel air through the valve. Closing the valve after rolling holds the casing and filler compacted. Opening the valve allows the foam to expand and self-inflate the casing.

Two general types of life vests, for example, are well known. There are vests permanently filled with inherently floating material such as cork or kapok, and there are pneumatic vests adapted to be inflated by lung, by pump or by gas cartridges. Permanently filled vests of the first type have the disadvantages of permanent bulk, and difiiculty of stowage, and accessibility in an emergency.

Pneumatic vests, prior to inflation, have the advantage of compactness and of convenience of stowage, but except for cartridge inflated types, are slew of inflation in an emergency. Cartridge infiated devices are generally satisfactory but require loading with a new cartridge after testing for integrity or after each use.

The object of the present invention is to provide a life vest, cushion or preserver which may be compacted for stowage and which may be repeatedly inflated without reloading or other preparatory operation.

According to the present invention a pneumatic device comprises an outer waterproof casing of flexible sheet material forming a closed chamber, a filler of spongy material normally tending to hold said chamber expanded with the mass of the filler and a substantial volume of air, and valve means operable to open the chamber to the atmosphere and for sealing said chamber against the admission of air into and exhaustion of air from said chamber, said material being resiliently collapsible to permit compaction of said device and depletion of air when said valve means opens said chamber to the atmosphere, said valve means when closed, thereafter, holding said device compacted, and said valve means, when opened, allowing said device to self-inflate.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a life vest;

FIG. 2 is a section on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional View showing the mode of compaction of the vest;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged section of a fragment of FIG. 3 showing a modification of the vest; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged section like FIG. 3 showing a further modification.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a life vest comprises a waterproof casing 1 formed by two outer waterproof sheets 2 and 3 of waterproof sheet material such as vinyl-impregnated fabric. The casing is divided into an upper vest portion 4 having a neck opening 6, and a lower apron 7. Between the two outer sheets 2 and 3 is an intermediate sheet 8 of waterproof material bonded to the outer sheets 2 and 3 at the edges 9 of the outer and intermediate sheets so as to form two interior compartments 11 and 12. The compartments 11 and 12 are formed with separate fillers 13 of spongy material such as polyurethane foam.

On the apron portion 7 between the major portion of the apron and the neck opening 6 is a valve 14 adapted to be manually operated by a cord 16 terminating in a handle 17. As shown in FIG. 3 the valve comprises a head 18 having two conduits 19 and 21 therethrough. The conduits are intercepted by a valve slider 22 which reciprocates in a space 23. Normally the valve is urged to the closed position shown in FIG. 3 by a spring 24.

When the handle 17 is pulled, the cord 16 which is suitably attached to the slider 22, draws the slider from its position intercepting the conduits 19 and 21. The valve body 18 is cemented to the outer sheet 2 with the conduit 19 opening through an aperture 26 in the sheet 2 to the front compartment 11. The other conduit 21 is connected by a flexible tube 27 through the intermediate wall 8 to the rear compartment 12. The outer ends of the conduits 19 and 21 are connected to blow tubes 28.

At the lower end of the apron portion 7, an elongate rod 31 is contained between the two casing sheets 2 and 3 transversely of the apron portion 7. As shown in FIG. 4 the life vest as a whole, and particularly the foam filler 13, may be compacted, by rolling the casing on the rod 31. The rod 31 may be a rigid piece such as a dowel, or may be a flexible or jointed piece. As the apron is rolled upon the rod, the handle 17 is pulled to open the valve 14 and allow air to be expelled from the chambers 11 and 12, and from the air spaces in the foam 13. When the apron is rolled over the valve 14 the valve moves into the neck opening 6 permitting continued access to the handle 17. By locating the valve 14 adjacent the neck opening 6, the valve does not add to the radial bulk of the rolled vest by virtue of its occupying the space of the neck opening. When rolling is completed and the air is substantially exhausted from the compartments 11 and 12, the vest is in an extremely compact condition which it may be caused to retain by releasing the cord handle and closing the valve 14 to exclude air from the compartments 11 and 12. The vest will retain its rolled position but may be unrolled for flat stowage. In either case it occupies a small fraction of its inflated bulk.

In use, the life vest is put on with the collar over the neck of the wearer and with the apron hanging over his chest. The vest is secured to the wearer by a strap 3-2 and a buckle 33 or any other similar suitable fastening device. The vest is inflated for use by pulling the handle 17, whereupon the cord 16 opens the valve 14 making the connection to atmosphere through the blow tubes 28 to the chambers 11 and 12. The resiliency of the spongy filler material causes it to expand and inspire air into the chambers. Thereafter release of the handle 17 allows the valve 14 to close and seal the air within the chambers. The foregoing above described compaction and inflation may be repeated for each test of the jacket or for each use.

The blow tubes, which are known per se, may be used to augment the inflation produced by expansion of the spongy filler, or to reinflate the chambers should they develop a slow leak.

While the above described life vest is suitable for most uses, including emergency use, the cord must be pulled before the wearer is partially or wholly submerged in the water to prevent unwanted inspiration of water through the blow tubes. The modified valve 14a shown in FIG. 6 prevents accidental inspiration of water if the cord is pulled while the wearer is submerged. For this purpose the valve block 18:: has the above described slide valve 22 operated by the cord 16, and an additional valve 36 sliding in a space 37. The slider 36 comprises a plate having two openings 38 which are normally in line with the conduits 19 and 21 through the valve body. The slider 36 is normally held in the position shown in FIG. 6 by a light compression spring 39. At the left end of the slider 36 is a piston head 41 connected through an opening 42 to the exterior of the valve body. This piston head 41 and the space 42 inside the piston head are respectively of substantially larger area and volume than the right hand end 43 of the slider 36 and the space 37 which also communicates at its right end with the exterior. Consequently, immersion of the valve when the vest is submerged in water, applies to the piston head 41 a greater force than is applied to the right end 43 of the slider 36, and the slider is moved to the right closing the conduits 19 and 21 against accidental entry of water. As shown in FIG. 3 the foam filler 13 in compartment 11 is bonded to the outer skin 2 by a zone 51 of adhesion which may comprise an additional adhesive such as polyvinyl acetate, or a heat or solvent induced adhesion between the foam 13 and sheet 2. A similar adhesion is provided between the foam 13 in compartment 12 and the outer sheet 3 at 51 and between the foam of each compartment and the intermediate sheet 8. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 5, between the outer sheets, for example 2, and the foam filler 13 may be located a layer 52 of self-sealing urethane gum in plastic condition with toluol as a solvent. Such a gum is avaiable under the trademark Thiokol.

From the foregoing description it can be seen that there is provided a life vest which can be easily compacted for convenient sotrage and yet which may be repeatedly inflated and deflated for testing or use.

It should be understood that the foregoing description is for the purpose of illustration only, and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims. For example, while a life vest has been disclosed, it is obvious that the valve inflating and compact stowage advantages of the invention may be embodied in simpler pneumatic devices such as a rectangular cushion or a ring-shaped life preserver. An aneroid diaphragm may be substituted for the piston 41 of FIG. 6 for actuating the pressure valve slider 36.

I claim:

1. A pneumatic device comprising an outer waterproof casing of flexible sheet material forming a closed chamber, a filler of spongy material normally tending to hold said chamber expanded with the mass of the filler and a substantial volume of air, valve means operable to open the chamber to the atmosphere and for sealing said chamber against the admission of air into and exhaustion of air from said chamber, said material being resiliently collapsible to permit compaction of said device and depletion of air when said valve means opens said 4 chamber to the atmosphere, said valve means, when closed thereafter, holding said device compacted, and said valve means, when opened, allowing said device to self-inflate, and mechanical means attached to said casing for compacting substantially all of the filler and thereby expelling substantially all of the air from the casing.

2. A pneumatic device according to claim 1 wherein said mechanical means comprises an elongate roller carried by the casing transversely thereof such that the casing and filler bay be rolled on said roller to compact the filler and expel air from the casing.

3. A pneumatic device according to claim 2 wherein said roller is confined between two sheets comprising the walls of said casing.

4. A pneumatic device comprising an outer waterproof casing of flexible sheet material forming a closed chamber, a filler of spongy material normally tending to hold said chamber expanded with the mass of the filler and a substantial volume of air, valve means operable to open the chamber to the atmosphere and for sealing said chamber against the admission of air into and exhaustion of air from said chamber, said material being resiliently collapsible to permit compaction of said device and depletion of air when said valve means opens said chamber to the atmosphere, said valve means, when closed thereafter, holding said device compacted, and said valve means, when opened, allowing said device to self-inflate, wherein said valve means comprises a manually operated gate valve means, immovable in response to fluid pressure, and resilient means yieldingly urging the gate valve to closed position.

5. A pneumatic device according to claim 4 wherein said gate valve means controls a fluid connection between the atmosphere and said chamber, in combination with a second valve means controlling said connection, resilient means yieldingly urging said second valve means to a normal position opening said connection, and pressure responsive means operable to cause said second valve means to close said connection when water pressure outside said chamber exceeds the pressure in said chamber, whereby submersion of the valve means causes said second valve means to close said connection.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,752,979 7/1956 Knill 152347 2,803,023 8/1957 Rosenberg 9-338 3,017,642 1/1962 Rosenberg 9-338 X 3,037,220 6/1962 Jantzen 9338 X 3,042,947 7/1962 Bashore 9-338 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

T. W. BUCKMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PNEUMATIC DEVICE COMPRISING AN OUTER WATERPROOF CASING OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL FORMING A CLOSED CHAMBER, A FILLER OF SPONGY MATERIAL NORMALLY TENDING TO HOLD SAID CHAMBER EXPANDED WITH THE MASS OF THE FILLER AND A SUBSTANTIAL VOLUME OF AIR, VALVE MEANS OPERABLE TO OPEN THE CHAMBER TO THE ATMOSPHERE AND FOR SEALING SAID CHAMBER AGAINST THE ADMISSION OF AIR INTO AND EXHAUSTION OF AIR FROM SAID CHAMBER, SAID MATERIAL BEING RESILIENTLY COLLAPSIBLE TO PERMIT COMPACTION OF SAID DEVICE AND DEPLETION OF AIR WHEN SAID VALVE MEANS OPENS SAID CHAMBER TO THE ATMOSPHERE, SAID VALVE MEANS, WHEN CLOSED THEREAFTER, HOLDING SAID DEVICE COMPACTED, AND SAID VALVE MEANS, WHEN OPENED, ALLOWING SAID DEVICE TO 